Sarah Alfonso, Grade 11
UWCEA Arusha

Seven long years in foreign lands
Being molded in foreign hands
Now am back
With anticipation in my backpack
High hopes and expectations
Shattered without explanations
But what can I do
This is home

I have to convince myself
I belong here
I came with a tonne of expectations
It has been shrunk to an atom
I have to reconsider
Cause I have crossed the boarder

A footstep into my country
Filled my heart with immense joy
But a look around
Filled my eyes with tears
My heart with grief
The joy was brief
Nothing hurts more than being a witness
To destruction of your happiness

A sight of river Nile, so beautiful
The mountains and valleys exceptional

The rich forests and flowing streams splendid
The rich sun received, superb
The color of the people
Very good for absorbing heat
But there is one problem
The minds are corrupt
Mindset very pathetic
Corruption is genetic

But what can I do
Am a helpless teenager
Cause this still is home

I guess am just a dreamer
Hoping for things to get better
That’s why soon I will have to go away from home
So that I can change home
I will start with seeing a positive future
And how to nurture
People’s minds more on loving
Not destroying
Cause regardless of what we do
This still is home
I still will love it
And I guess you too

I might be a dreamer
But one day I will be a game changer
Cause I love home

And I belong here
These are my people
My responsibility

Note
I wrote this poem the moment I came back to my country South Sudan earlier this year. And as read in between the lines I did have my high hopes and expectations shattered into pieces but I still love my home and I hope to make things better one day. And I feel going to UWC will help me get skills on how to bring positive change home.

Thank you
Sarah Alfonso